Friday, October 19, 2007

In-Progress At Irwindale: Toyota All-Star Showdown On SPEED

Friday night at 8PM Eastern Time, SPEED Channel will carry the season-ending Toyota All-Star Showdown from Irwindale Speedway in California. This is the finale of the NASCAR Grand National Series and hosts drivers from all parts of the country.

Mike Joy will be calling the action for SPEED along with Dr. Dick Berggren in the booth as the analyst. On pit road will be Ralph Shaheen and Jim Tretow.

This program is scheduled to run three and one half hours in length, and last season featured some very good short track pavement racing.

Note: There will be another page for comments about Saturday night's big finale at 10PM Eastern Time. Thanks for your emails on that subject.

This page will host your comments about this program on SPEED. You may add your comment before, during, or after the show. Please read the rules for posting on the right side of the main page, and thank once again for stopping-by The Daly Planet.

The racing that takes place here is AMAZING unlike its big, ugly, wicked step-mother California Speedway. California Speedway needs to take a page from Irwindale on how to make a REAL racetrack and actually ENTERTAIN the fans rather than put them asleep.

The thing I'm enjoying most about Mike Joy and Dick Berggren is their utter lack of ego in their announcing styles. They don't seem to feel the need to chatter while green flag laps are being run. Unlike Rusty et al, they aren't constantly yapping to hear themselves talk. They often let quite a bit of time go by without saying a word, content to let viewers watch the race. It's a very refreshing approach.

The other thing I like about this coverage is the split-screen they did, interviewing one of the drivers out of the race while continuing to show the on-track action.

Yes! Great to hear Mike, Dick and Ralph again. Pros all around, with no egos. Just solid commentary and reporting. ESPN are you watching and taking notes? No silly graphics or CGI. No constant jabbering by the announcers just to fill the air. No Draft Track or Draft Lock. No commercial breaks every 7 or 8 laps. Split screen the way it was meant to be used. I could go on and on.

Great job Speed crew, all of you including the camera crew and guys in the truck.

Maybe ESPN/ABC/Disney could just subcontract out the races to Speed next year. Wouldn't that be nice?!